Brunch is my favorite meal. Its relaxed pace, appreciation for carbs and mix of sweet and savory options just make my day.

So when I heard that Malai Kitchen, a fusion restaurant in the West Village, was offering brunch, I was intrigued. I hadn’t made it over there though, before the folks at Malai invited me in to try brunch on them. It was clearly meant to be.

I brought along my parents because they’re fans of both brunch AND Malai. They ordered the scallops though, which is decidedly NOT a brunch item. Oh well. They loved it.

We were brought a delicious bowl of chicken and egg congee, which is like a savory rice pudding topped with scallions, a poached egg and crispy bread and filled with delicious white meat chicken. It’s so unique you may never order boring oatmeal again.

I ordered the bahn mi French toast, because hello?! Bahn. Mi. French. toast. It was buttery and delicious and served with bananas. It was a good choice.

Overall, I would say Malai isn’t your average brunch spot. But you might want to add it to your rotation, because between the unique brunch menu options, lovely patio and hospitable staff, it’s a great place to spend a weekend morning out.

Malai Kitchen  |  West Village  |  malaikitchen.com

NOTE: I was invited by Malai and their PR agency to a comped meal, which I described above. But I’ve been thinking about that congee for a while now, and I would never say anything positive I didn’t mean just because the food was free. Money can’t buy my praise, y’all.